Brown Girl Dreaming

Jacqueline’s family and homes are integral to her story of being a brown girl. Consider the role of home and family. What is the difference between a house and a home? How do Jacqueline’s family members influence her feelings of belonging in the world?

Woodson’s history is connected to North American history, as she is a descendant of African people brought to the Americas. Her lineage and photos of her loved ones in the book are integrated into her understanding of herself and our understanding of her. How do our memories of loved ones form ideas of what happened in the past? How does individual memory shape collective memory?

The traditions and rituals within the book (such as traveling to the South every summer) give readers an important understanding of how Jacqueline’s family works and what they value. What traditions does your friend group or family share? What could an outside observer learn about you from exploring your customs, rituals, and traditions?

Jacqueline discovers herself as a writer slowly and through the help of several individuals in her life. She authors a book about butterflies when she’s quite young and writes beside Langston Hughes. What authors or real-life figures have influenced your writing life? What is true for you about your identity as a reader and writer?

What is the difference between Jacqueline’s life in the North and her life in the South?

What impact does Woodson’s family have on her sense of self-identity?

Do the pictures of Woodson’s family match the way you imagined them as you read? What observations can you make about the individuals in the photographs?

How does a person move dreams into their reality? Does the act of dreaming make things real? What do you think?

What do you think Jacqueline is trying to teach readers with the “how to listen” poems? Why is listening so important? Examine each of the poems carefully. What commonalities or differences do they have?

What do you learn about Jacqueline that is new in the poem “brown girl dreaming?” What does she long to do in this poem?

How does the place you live impact your identity or lived experiences? Consider Jacqueline’s life in Ohio, Carolina, and New York